I was greeted tonight by a box on my desk, an order that my wife had gotten for me! It’s like an early Christmas!

I was excited to open the packaging and expected to see the usual boxes they send to keep the tools in – I own a number of their earlier tools (have had most of them 20-25 years), but I haven’t purchased anything from the company in quite some time.

To my surprise, this is what was in the box. Plastic baggies with the instructions inside. Kind of disappointing, although, if I am really honest about it, I don’t use the boxes and have the tools at my workbench.

Still, initially it was a bit of a letdown.

Anybody else have the same feeling with tools or manufacturers lately?

-- Randy "You are judged as much by the questions you ask as the answers you give..."

29 replies so far

Hi my lucky friend, and marry christmas most of all!Yes when I look at those to wonderful tools I really feel sorry for you!Laugh big time.But when this is said I agree, to buy highend tools and extra high price and get a zip plasticbag with a photocopy… Kind of really bad style. I think many of the tool makers have forgotten during the good times where they could sell dusins a day and we just said wauuu, we can hope the times of crisis again will make them wake up and remember why they had respect in the first place.Best thoughts,Mads

You mean they’re actually producing something these days? Whenever I visit the site, it seems that everything has been discontinued – sort of like a production process with ADHD. I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure the plastic baggies will soon be discontinued as well.

Back in the early spring I had shown my wife the Kerfmakers that were in Projects made by some of the LJ’s, and the one made by Bridge City. She said maybe I could get them for you for Christmas, but they were “in production” and I never gave it another thought.

The old brown and red boxes from the first tools are still in my shop, and like you Gene, I use them to hold jigsaw blades and most of the same things you do, as well as some of the seldom used tools.

It always seemed to me when I see their tools on eBay with the sturdy cardboard boxes that it was a quality tool with a home… the baggie just doesn’t do it for me.

The quality of these items are first class, so I am still happy and it does feel a little like Christmas with the snow blowing out there, but still I’m left with the feeling Santa drank a little of MY milk and ate MY cookie. :)

-- Randy "You are judged as much by the questions you ask as the answers you give..."

I got my Kerf maker in the same plastic bag, I have gotten everything else I bought from them in the brown and black boxes. Instead of speculating they are not doing well (which is not true) how about you speculate that the instructions would not fit in such a small box required for the kerf and tenon maker.

-- To surrender a dream leaves life as it is — and not as it could be.